Would you be comfortable using used electical stuff?

[Doyle Alley]

I'm going to need several dozen 20amp outlets for the shop plus some switches. I've found that I can get them off of "the giant auction site" for about 1/3 the cost of buying from the Borg - but they are used. Is there any reason I should be leary of buying used outlets?

In the way of a minor gloat, I scored 14 Hubbell locking L14-20R outlets for $49 (including shipping). These were brand new and 13 were orange hospital grade. One was brown standard grade. That auction saved me a bundle. Now, if I could just find a way to score some cheap wire and light fixtures, I'd have my electrical taken care of.

[Jamie Buxton]

If they're really 20-amp outlets, yes, I'd probably feel okay with used. Outlets which are rated at 20 amps are ones intended for commercial service, and are considerably sturdier than the 15-amp ones generally used in residential service. Of course, you can examine them for broken or melted plastic, stripped screw threads, and the like. If your cost is low enough, buy a couple extra and throw out any which seem abused.

[Doyle Alley]

Yes, these are standard 20amp 125v recepticals. There is a guy that sells them in bulk lots. My guess is that he (or his connection) removes them from commercial buildings that are being remodeled. If they are anything like the 20amp recepticals in my office, they might see a plug-in/un-plug cycle a dozen times in a 20 year lifetime.

[John Miliunas]

I agree. "Most" outlets get "something" plugged into them and it stays plugged in for the duration of weeks, months or even years. Nothing to really get worn out on them under such use. And, like Jamie says, they're typically heavier duty to start with.

[Greg Koch]

How much do you figure you will be "saving" by buying used?

[Doyle Alley]

How much do you figure you will be "saving" by buying used?

There is an auction now (actually several from the same seller) for 20 hubbell 20A 125V duplex recepticals. The Buy-It-Now price is $20 and shipping would be about $11. Current minimum bid is $10 with no bidders. Final sales would be somewhere between the minimum bid and the Buy-It-Now price. So, worst case would be about $31. Best case would be about $21. If I went to the Borg, the same outlets in either Levitron brand (HD) or Cooper brand (Lowes) would be about $3.00 each plus tax. Total about $65.00. That makes the used price somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 of new cost.

Saving 30 to 40 bucks isn't going to make or break the bank. However, being the perpetual cheapskate that I am - I've at least got to look. Plus, I would get to feel good about "recycling" something that would have been tossed in in a landfill.

[Greg Koch]

I just look it as the receptacles are part of the power line to your equipment. I would hate to see you have problems/disaster using something someone else no longer wanted... But that's just me, so take it for what it's worth.

[tod evans]

doyle, whien i wired my shop i salvaged a 3-phase 400 amp panel, 400 amp fused disconnect and fused disconnects for every piece of stationary equipment. every piece of wire, breakers and receptacals where new...just what i did..02 tod

[Kent Fitzgerald]

I live in a house with a plenty of 40-year-old original wiring, and I haven't had any issues due to the age of equipment (previous owner foolishness is another story). Used is not necessarily bad.

OTOH, new components are pretty cheap peace of mind. If you have to deal with missing breakout tabs, stripped screws, or bent yokes on the used receptacles, the hassle factor adds up pretty quick.

My other thought is that for $3 each, you can get spec grade receptacles with the back-wired screw-clamp connections. Very nice to use, especially with stranded wire.

[Larry Reimer]

Doylw, if you can find it used in good shape....... why not?

I doubt you're going to find cheap wire today. Scrap price for copper around here is $2.80 a pound. That's the highest it's ever been. Copper is so high that I heard of a building under construction here in town that switched to all stainless steel plumbing pipe because it was cheaper than copper.

Be aware that the orange hospital grade receptacles you got should have an isolated ground. (the color orange was a standard color for isolated ground). That means the ground terminal on the receptacle is not connected to the metal strap that the receptacle mounts with. In the hospital setting we would actually run two separate distinct ground wires to that device. For your use I would make sure to put a ground pigtail at the device to tie the receptacle ground terminal to the "box" ground wire.

[skip coyne]

Ive used a lot of used electrical stuff , no problem with it .


if you have one near you check out the habitat for humanity resale shops the local one has bins of used electrical stuff salvaged from houses being torn down , learn to recognize the quality stuff and there are some great deals

heres a link see if theres one near you
http://www.habitat.org/env/restore.aspx

[Steve Clardy]

My whole shop is wired with practically all used stuff.
Boxes, conduit, recepticles, some switches, some of the heavier wire, 6-8-10
All else I purchased new.
I knew of an ols shoe factory that was being torn down, so got a whole truck load of goodies. All I had to do was remove it.

[Doyle Alley]

Thanks for all the advise. I'm going to have to check the grounds on those orange recepticals. I might have to do some extra wiring there. I can't complain though. L14-20 recepticals are about $20 each at the borg and I got 13 for $49.

I'll decide on the used duplex outlets closer to the end of the auction. In the worst case scenario, I buy 20 at an auction and wind up throwing some away because they are damaged. I would have to loose about half of them to loose money.

And yes we do have a Habitat for Humanity outlet here. Unfortunately, they never have any decent electrical stuff except for some really good deal on pairs of large outdoor lights (like the kind you put on either side of a front door). In fact, the one here doesn't seem to have much good stuff at all. Perhaps it just hasn't been around long enough for contractors to get used to donating stuff.

[Dave Mapes]

The orange outlets are intended to imply outlets that are surge protected and in some computer rooms tied to a backup power supply. they will work as normal but because of what they imply I would avoid them and is it is possible they will not pass code.

[Jerry Olexa]

Yes esp circuit breakers. I think you're fine...